Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/303

294 micle lustlicor swæ him mon ær geðyldelicor forbær hiera irre, & swæ micle ma scamiað hiera unðeawes swæ hiene mon ær geðyldelicor forbær. Ac ðæt mod, ða hwile þe hit bið oferdruncen ðæs irres, eall ðæt him mon ryhtes sægð, bit ðyncð him woh. Forðæm eac ðæt wif þe Abigail hatte swiðe hergendlice forswigode ðæt dysig hiere fordruncnan hlafordes, se wæs haten Nabal, & eft, ða him ðæt lið gesciered wæs, full hergendlice hio hit him gecyðde, & he forðæm his agen dysig swæ micle bet oncneow swæ he undruncenra wæs. Swæ eac, ðonne ðæt gelimpð ðæt ða irsiendan men oðrum monnum oferfylgað to ðæm swiðe ðæt hit mon him forberan no mæg, ne sceal mon no mid openlice edwite him wiðslean, ac be sumum dæle arwyrðlice wandiende swiðe wærlice stieran. Đæt we magon openlicor gecyðan, gif we Abneres dæda sume herongemong secgeað, hu Assael hiene unwærlice mid anwalde ðreatode, & him oferfylgde. Hit is awriten ðæt Abner cwæde to Assaele: Gecier la, & geswic, ne folga me, ðæt ic ðe ne ðyrfe ofstingan. He forhogde ðæt he hit gehierde, & nolde hiene forlætan. Đa ðydde Abner hiene mid hindewearde sceafte on ðæt smælðearme ðæt he was dead. Hwæs onlicnesse hæfde Assael ða buton ðara þe hiera hatheortnes hie swiðe hrædlice on forspild gelæt? Đa ðonne hie beræsað on swelce weamodnesse hie sindon swa micle wærlicor to ferbugonne swæ mon ongiet ðæt hie on maran ungewitte bioð. Đæs Abneres noma þe ðone oderne fleah is on are geðeode fæder leohtfæt. Þæt getacnað ðætte ðara lareowa tungan þe ðæt uplice leoht bodiað, ðonne hie ongietað hwelcne monnan geswencedne mid irre & mid hatheortnesse onbærnedne, & ðonne for-

recover their senses, they receive advice so much the more cheerfully the more patiently their passion was formerly tolerated, and are so much the more ashamed of their fault the more patiently they were borne with before. But the mind, while intoxicateil with passion, regards all the good that is said to it as wrong. Therefore, the woman called Abigail very laudably concealed the folly of her drunken lord, who was called Nabal, and afterwards, when his drunkenness hail passed off, very laudably told it him, and be perceived his own folly the more easily the more sober he was. So also, when it happens that the passionate pursue others so much that it cannot be endure, they are not to be opposed with open reproach, but to be partially checked very scrupulously and cautiously. We can explain it more clearly, if we